NTEN to Party Down in DC

A new generation carries on an old paradox: one thing that small charities do well is throw expensive parties. 

NTEN, the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (EIN 91-2072298 Form 990), is putting on its annual conference in Washington, DC on April 4-6 at the Omni Shoreham.  I took a look through the Sponsorship Guide to get an idea of the budget for the event. 

I had to make a few assumptions along the way, and I'm not claiming this is more than a back of the envelope projection, but assuming an attendace of 1,000 this year (it was 834 last year), it looks like the event is going to cost something like $700,000, of which registration accounts for about $400,000, sponsorships $219,000, and exhibitors $76,000.  (I've listed it all out below.) 

Is this all worth it just to reach about 600 nonprofit organizations?  (NTEN says that 60% of the attendees are from nonprofits.)  The charity industry has almost 81,000 organizations in social assistance and 13,000 organizations in social advocacy (see our recent report on the establishments and employment in the charity industry).  Obviously, NTEN isn't reaching its intended audience, not by a long shot. 

And the paradox here is that the NTEN fans are big advocates of web based technologies.  Now that the era of low-cost broadband communication has arrived, the notion of having a few hundred people get on planes and stay in a hotel for three or four days to hear about the latest technology seems hopelessly retro (not to mention wasteful—and elitist). 

Today's Wall Street Journal (Pui-Wing Tam and Rebecca Buckman) has a (public) piece on how the current wave of tech start ups are making do with little money and tiny staffs.  It strikes me that the time has come when money is no longer the issue in bringing technology to nonprofits.  The barriers now are ones of communication and attitude within the nonprofits themselves.  To me, a conference isn't going to improve communication or change attitudes anymore.  What has a shot is the Web itself. 

It's not only for-profit corporations that have embraced web-based operations: so have the health and education sectors of the charity industry.  It's time for the social services sector to get on the ball.  Perhaps NTEN could lead the way by becoming a genuine network in the broadcasting sense.  Not holding conferences but becoming a content provider and distributor year-round.  Show them how they can use the Web by using the Web for something other than on-line registration. 

Sponsors
Platinum	2 at $15,000	$      30,000
Gold	4 at $10,000	40,000
Silver	6 at $7,500	45,000
Program	1 at $7,500	7,500
USB	1 at $10,000	10,000
Combo Program/USB	1 AT $15,000	15,000
Café	Exclusive at $10,000	10,000
Wireless	Exclusive at $15,000	15,000
Luncheon	2 at $6,000	12,000
Daily News	Exclusive at $2,500	2,500
Breaks	Exclusive at $7,000	7,000
After party	Exclusive at $25,000	25,000
Subtotal Sponsors		$     219,000
Exhibits	80 at average of $950	$      76,000
Registration	1,000 at average 400	$     400,000
	2007 conference	$     695,000
Compare:	2005 conference	$     402,370
	Increase	73%

Comments

[Katrin]

Hi, Underalms! Thanks for your post. I wish you had called me for the numbers!

I will post the numbers on our blog - unfortunately they are off. Would I love to throw a shindig for that mauch! We are the best deal in town -- and make do on almost half that.

We believe that bringing a community together is hugely valuable for building exactly what you are calling for -- a vibrant and lively network of people in IT in nonprofits. We host online events, webinars, calls, more than 80 online groups, and local events all year round - so once a year we love to see everyone come together. It is a good way to cement and augment all of the relationships made online during the year. There really is -- even in our networked age -- no substitute for getting together.

I'd be happy to discuss with you -- but I think your criticism is not quite fair.

On one other note: We will be doing our share to offset carbon and plant as many trees as we can afford - as a small token to what it will take to get everyone there.

My direct number is 413 687 9877 -- please give me ring anytime!

Best,

Katrin,
Executive Director
NTEN

[Beth]

I've been attending NTC Conferences since 2000 - when they were called Circuit Rider Conferences. And, while I communicate regularly with colleagues via all the listserves, my most important contacts, learnings, and connections in the hallways, in sessions, at parties, in the bar, jogging, -- face-to-face. While yes, the Internet and meeting virtually keeps us connected, it can't replace face-to-face interaction.

[Dave Chakrabarti]

This is crucial: "The barriers now are ones of communication and attitude within the nonprofits themselves."

It is precisely to break down these barriers that we congregate; change must come from within the system. Someday, it may be possible to "network" as effectively on the virtual world, and then it will become pointless to attend a conference such as this...and the conferences will vanish. But until then, it is (ironically, in light of your post) elitist to hold such events online, when most nonprofit organizations have no tech staffs are are nowhere *near* the level of technology usage they should be. They'd be preaching to the choir.

I'm a nonprofit techie, and despite living and working in the realm of emerging web technologies, I feel compelled to attend :) I've never been disappointed by the conferences I've attended (most recently the Media Reform conference in Memphis), and I'm looking forward to this one with a great deal of enthusiasm. Perhaps this is a sign that conferences don't play second fiddle to our online lives yet?

I'd invite you to attend NTEN this year if you can; you may find it a positive experience. As others have noted, the true value of networking over beers with likeminded activists from all over the world is incomparable.

Dave.

[JeremyNYC]

Thanks for the post. I think it's good to air thought pieces like this, and it's good to keep our friends (hi Katrin!) on their toes.

But as someone who's been going to NTEN conferences for a few years now, I have to say that I think you owe yourself a trip to one of these conferences.

I think you're right that the NTEN conference doesn't have direct impact on people from a huge number of non-profits. But what I think you're missing is the massive impact it has on the community of folks who offer IT services to non-profits all over the country and, to a lesser extent, the world. The connections made there, on both the people-to-people and people-to-ideas fronts, are huge. There have been many, many jobs landed (including mine) because of these events, and many, many changes made to the way 501 techies approach their work.

I don't think these conferences are or ever have been perfect, but I do think there's huge value to them.

Jeremy